Rod & Ring
Authored by: Samuel David
Published by: Anathema Publishing
In Mesopotamian art, the rod and ring, like the horned helm or crown, are indicators of the depicted being’s divine status. The most famous depiction being that of Shamash, the solar god of justice holding both divine symbols of power before Hammurabi the king on the Code of Hammurabi stele.
The depiction of a deity presenting these items of power to a human indicates the conferring of some divine measure, be it benediction or authority as a divinely-ordained ruler.
The symbols themselves are dated from the Sumerian Renaissance to the Neo-Assyrian periods. Some researchers have suggested that these tools represent a yardstick and a measuring rope – items that would be used to survey a kingdom. The stela of Ur-Namma however, bears an elaborate relief which depicts the ring as a wound cord; it has also been described as a chaplet of beads.
Within the context of this book and those which will follow, the rod and ring serve as the symbols of the gods and the realms in which they inhabit and rule.
The ring signifies the circumference of Earth and all that is contained upon and within, from the highest mountains, the depths of the oceans, and the chasms of the Underworld.
The rod signifies the divine power of the gods that is made manifest and connects the kingdoms of Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld.
By undergoing initiation, we can move closer to obtaining a measure of the divine providence and authority granted by the gods to perform rituals, know them in full, and experience the power they may bestow upon those who serve them as magicians, exorcists, and members of the priesthood.”
—Samuel David
Bibliography
Standard Edition
Publication date: 2021.
ISBN: 978-1-989339-11-4
Original price: £53/CA$90
Copies printed: Limited to 646 copies.
Contributors
Illustrated by: Johnny Decker Miller.
Physical Description
Dimensions: 5.25 x 8.5 inches.
Page count: 352 pages.
Illustrative content: Pantone + B&W interior.
Other physical details: Individually hand-numbered.
Binding
Binding: (Thick Book) Hardbound 100pts, bound in Holliston Buckram 'Mesmerizing Blue'. Silver foil blocking on rounded spine and on the cover. Marbled Ice 'New Moire' Endpapers. Black & White Headbands.
Paper: Printed on Cougar White 160M archive-quality paper.
Typography: Fine typography.
Collector’s Edition
Publication date: 2021.
ISBN: 978-1-989339-11-4
Original price: £88/CA$150
Copies printed: Limited to 309 copies.
Contributors
Illustrated by: Johnny Decker Miller.
Physical Description
Dimensions: 5.25 x 8.5 inches.
Page count: 352 pages.
Illustrative content: Pantone + B&W interior.
Other physical details: Individually hand-numbered and signed by the author Samuel David.
Binding
Binding: (Thick book) Hardbound 100pts, bound in 'Silktouch' Orange/Brown Mottled Bonded Leather. Gold foil blocking on rounded spine and on the cover, as well as Blind Deboss on the cover. Gold 'Swirl' Endpapers. Black & White Headbands.
Paper: Printed on Cougar White 160M archive-quality paper.
Typography: Fine typography.
Content Note
Accompanying material: Comes with a carton-plate insert glued on the interior.
Artisanal Edition
Publication date: 2021.
ISBN: 978-1-989339-11-4
Original price: £382/CA$650
Copies printed: Strictly limited to 25 copies.
Contributors
Illustrated by: Johnny Decker Miller.
Physical Description
Dimensions: 5.25 x 8.5 inches.
Page count: 352 pages.
Binding
Binding: Sewn & Glued, bound in Sand-Tan (to look like a Cuneiform Stone Tablet) Genuine Italian Leather. Finish: 1. Gold foil blocking + Raised Bands on rounded Spine. 2. Large Blind Deboss designs on the Cover and back cover + Gold foil stamping on the front as well. Endpapers: Handmade and Marbled Lokta Paper (Gold/Silver/Copper). Headbands & Silk Ribbon: in Gold Silk Fabric. The book is encased in a fine Solander/Clamshell Box, wrapped in Deep Scarlet Red Leather, and 3 sides of the box will be wrapped in the same material as the above-mentioned Endpapers. Central Gold Foil blocking on the top of the Solander Box, as well as on the Spine side.
